"Purple Tucked Away"
10 x 13 mixed media on paper $200 SOLD

I am so busy right now with a series of large watercolors that for a few days I am posting some older abstracts. Most are sold, but you can get some idea of my "other life" as an abstract painter.
Many people love abstract paintings and others don't understand them at all. Just what is an abstract? Well, the word means "separate from" or "the essence of'", so really an abstract work of art is composed of the elements of art applied in a pleasing, coherent, interesting way. Line, color, space, form,etc. are the tools used by the artist. Subject matter is of no importance, unless of course it is reduced to shape and form.

Well, I hope you will begin to enjoy abstracts if you haven't before. They are just as hard to do as any other type of painting! I was pleased with this painting when I did it, and hope you like it. Give me some comments!!

"Yellow, Yellow"
6 x 6 acrylic painting on gessoed hardboard $50

Between rains, I journeyed out into the garden to look for flowers and everything I saw almost was yellow. I selected two different yellow flowers--not sure of names but I think the one on the left is alamanda and it has pretty waxy looking leaves. The other one is a perennial and I've forgotten the name. Anyway, I was in the flower painting mood, probably because we've had so much rain and I haven't been outside much.

Last night a huge limb fell off the live oak tree in the front yard! We are no longer under a tropical storm warning, though, so that is good news.

MORE GREETING CARDS!

Here are a couple more of my greeting cards. They are watercolor paintings on watercolor paper, with envelopes, and blank inside for you to write your own message. They are $6.00 each plus $l.50 shipping, no matter how many you buy! What a great deal! You can choose a category such as seascape, landscape, country, floral, etc. but ultimately the design choice is mine. Lots of people buy these to frame in small frames and the card becomes a gift, as well.

The bottom card is a Florida scene, but it doesn't look quite like that here today! It is rainy and we are getting more rain tomorrow, and wind, from a tropical storm. A good day to paint in the studio! Click on these cards to see details.

"Dangerous Drink"
16 x 20 acrylic on canvas  $400

After you look at this painting (and be sure to click on it to really see the wildlife in it), then scroll down because I posted it a few minutes ago and felt it didn't look right. I took the first post photo outside in the bright sunlight and this one, I took in the studio with a flash and it is actually truer in colors to the painting. Notice the alligator swimming toward the deer, and when you scroll down you can read my comments on alligators! Scary creatures!
   Double click on painting for a total screen view.

"Dangerous Drink"
16 x 20 acrylic on canvas $400

You will definitely have to click on this painting to see the details. The deer are almost camouflaged as they are in real nature and if you look at the lower bottom between the lily pads, you will see an alligator swimming toward them. True to wildlife in Florida! 
    In fact, there is a small canal on one side of my property and I often hear 2 different alligators "grunting". They make a sound sort of like a pig grunting. Needless to say, I don't walk near that wild section of the property, but I mow near there but on the mower, I am safe!     It seems that blues often look so much brighter in photos than they are in the painting. The colors are a bit more subtle in the painting than here. I think the painting is really nicer.
Your comments are welcome.

Here is the large painting I am working on. It is acrylic on canvas and is a Florida type landscape. I am working on the water, putting in water lilies and then I hope to make the water look shallow and I plan to put two deer in it on the water's edge near the tree. We'll see! Sometimes plans go astray and changes have to be made---a painting often just evolves.
"The best laid plans of mice and men........".

Hope you are having a great weekend!

PAGES FROM MY SKETCH BOOK  NFS
I used two pages (you can see the fold line of the book in the middle) to do this sketch from my visit to Norway.
 Two years ago, we went out of England on a cruise to Norway on the Thomson Cruise Lines. It was just wonderful! I took loads of reference photos and this sketch is from one. It is a grass-roofed boat house on a fjord. The fjords are amazing; in fact the whole country is absolutely beautiful! I have ideas for many paintings from there---just so little time!

    Today I started a large painting, and will show you tomorrow what I am up to! Keep looking!
By the way, I have had over 1700 hits on my blog from all over the world. Thank all of you for your interest.

Spanish Moss"

8 x 11 1/2 watercolor $45

One of the most beautiful things in the South is Spanish Moss hanging from trees. It sways in the wind and is a pretty greenish grey color--lovely!

In this painting, I wanted to work on my values--sometimes I don't have enough darks in my paintings, so that is what I worked on here, including dark shadows of the tree. I liked the little bit of purple in the sky, too. Click on it to see details.

If you are new to my blog, please take a moment to sign up as a follower. It will encourage me tremendously!

"Still Life with Zinnias"

18 x 24 watercolor, framed $500 SOLD

Oops! There is the dreaded flash again! This is framed under glass and I took several photos of it and the flash was in all, so I gave up! This has some more lace in it and again, I really enjoyed painting it.

This painting is SOLD, but be sure to look at older posts. You might find something similar.

If you are new to my blog---Welcome! Take a moment to sign up as a follower! Also, comments are appreciated. Click on the painting to see details. Hope everyone is having a great day today.

CONTEMPORY PAINTING

"I'm Into Leaves"

11 x 14 acrylic on canvas $55

It looks pretty nice here, but in real life, I was not pleased with this effort! I think the concept was interesting--I had in mind to do three stripes of colors, with the biggest being greens, then reds, then blues. So, after painting that in, I painted the tree branch basically up the middle with leaves on it. I felt it was too busy, so I tried to make the eye focus on the right side of the canvas. At the last minute, I added the horizontal yellow strokes of paint to further move the eye right. What do you think? success or failure?

Keep in mind that it isn't supposed to be realistic--I am interested in design and color here. Comments appreciated. Click on it to see details.

"Distant Rain-Lake Okeechobee"

4 x 5 acrylic on canvas panel $35

Almost a miniature painting, this little one shows rain in the distance. I was inspired by seeing such a sky with rain falling, as I was driving along. One of the best things about Florida is the awesome skyscapes we have.

The egret is poised for the strike. Not only do they eat little fish, but a lot of lizards and bugs.

A fun painting to do---I love the way the sky turned out and hope you like it. Comments welcomed!

Sketch from my sketchbook. Not for Sale.

I visited my daughter in N. Ireland one Fall and we were in Hillsborough, a little village about 10 miles from Belfast. It is a really nice town with a beautiful castle, of course, and quaint shops, etc. At the bottom of a hill, we saw this house with bright reddish vines on it, which was very striking against the grey stucco of the house. So my post today is just this sketch from my sketchbook!

"The Fall Pear Sisters"

6 x 6 acrylic on hardboard $45

Trudy and Peg Pear posed for me in front of their favorite vintage hankerchief, thinking the border would compliment their fallish coloring, and it did!

"Old Pier at Ft. Pierce"

9 x 22 watercolor, matted and framed $500

This painting was done plein air at Ft. Pierce before this pier was destroyed by a hurricane. I started with a full sheet of paper with sky at the top, but it just didn't work well, so I cut the paper down and made a long, narrow painting, had a wide mat cut for it and painted details leading into the painting on the mat. I thought it turned out quite nicely and the rocks lead the eye right into the painting!I masked out the sea gull, so it is basically the white of the paper, as well as the foamy water. SOLD

Sorry, this one is already sold, but I may have others similiar, so scroll down and be sure to look at older posts, going back to March. Click on any painting to see the details. Enjoy looking and know that I truly enjoy painting!

"Fall Still life with Pumpkin"

8 x 10 acrylic on stretched canvas $65.00

Found the prettiest little pumpkin at the grocery and some guords so I sat up a little still life. I love the colors of Fall! I want to take some time to put out a Fall display under my oak trees with hay bail, scarecrow and pumpkins. I always make a "corn shock" out of palmetto fronds. I make a framework of lattice strips in a teepee design and wire the fronds on and it looks even better than corn shucks. Just wish it was a little cooler with more Fallish weather.

This little painting would be pretty on an easel to decorate your home! I painted around the edges of the stretched canvas, too, to give it a finished look. Click on it to see details.

Watercolor sketch done on airplane traveling to Minnesota.

Not for sale---collection of the artist.

This was a first for me---actually painting on the airplane! Traveling to Minnesota, there was an empty seat in my isle, so I could spread out a bit and I had a few drops of water in my plastic cup, so I did this little sketch. Pretty soon all the people around me were interested and all the flight attendants, so I gave out business cards. I'm hoping some of them look at my blog!

Since getting home from Minnesota, I've had lots of mowing, trimming, cleaning and laundry to do, so haven't got a new painting done yet! Wish all I had to do was paint with an assistant to do all the other stuff! Dream on.

"From Behind an Oak"

9 1/2 x 12 1/2 watercolor, unframed $40

Hi Everyone! I'm back from a week in Minnesota. That is why I haven't posted anything in a few days. I dug this little watercolor out of my old stash so I would have something to post today! I did manage to do a sketchy watercolor painting in my sketch book on the airplane, can you believe?We were lucky to have an empty seat in the row, so I could spread out a little, so I was painting away. The flight was only three hours, but I managed a quick little thing---I will post it tomorrow.

The weather was cooler in Minnesota, thank goodness, and we went to Marigold Days in historic Mantorville. Such a beautiful little town with so many 1800's buildings and homes, all restored. The one room school is now a cafe and we had lunch there. Many, many antique dealers were sat up and lots to see. Back now, have mowed already and am almost ready to start painting. Took loads of photos for reference. I will post some later and will be painting from some of them from time to time. Traveling is great and I get all reeved up with all kinds of creative ideas , but it is kind of good to be back in the studio, too. Watch for new postings!

"September Sunflowers"

5 x 7 acrylic on hardboard $45

Don't you just love Fall colors? Definitely one of my favorite times of the year! This little painting would be so pretty on an easel just to add a splash of color to your Fall decorating!

I have some new viewers and I hope you will take a few minutes to click on Follow and sign up there. It is easy and quick. Also, if you are new to my blog, scroll down and click on older posts to see the many paintings I have put on since March, as well as my trip to Northern Ireland. You can click on any painting to see the details. Thanks so much for looking. You comments are always appreciated, too.

"My Secret Cottage"
18 x 24 acrylic on stretched canvas, framed $400

We all have our dream houses tucked away in our imaginations. Well, here is my little dream cottage with a beautiful little garden. That could even be me collecting flowers for a bouquet! This piece is framed in a nice chestnut colored frame complete with a beige linen liner...it looks great and sure to be an inspiration in your home. Be sure to click on it and enjoy the peaceful feeling as well as the details!

"Longing for Fall--Mostly Crotons"
9 x 11 watercolor $45

I went outside today looking for "Fall" leaves, which in Florida are not this early and there are a few starting in October and actually lasting all winter, but not many and nothing like in the North. But being a transplanted Kentuckian, I still look for a bit of Fall color, starting in Sept. I found mostly Crotons, which are fallish looking all year, but more so in Autumn and Winter. I also found a few turning Crepe Myrtle leaves, even though the Crepe Myrtles are still in bloom.
And I found some kind of yellowish weed. Arranged on a sheet of paper, they were quite pleasing and fun to paint, especially the crotons. So my painting for today is simply a botanical. Notice the shadows and don't forget to click on it for details. Happy Labor Day, coming up!

MORE GREETING CARDS.

Here are examples of the pet greeting cards I have now. They are $6.00 each and $1.50 postage, no matter how many you get. What a deal! These are watercolors with pen embellishment.

"Roses and Lace" SOLD

8 1/4 x 11 1/4 watercolor $200

Finished! What a bunch of fun this was to paint, interesting and hard, as well. The silver gravy boat was probably the most challenging as painting silver, glass or chrome is all about reflections. There is no silver paint here, just the white of the paper plus all the colors reflected onto the gravy boat. Click on it to see the refections better; even the lace is reflected in the gravy boat. The lace itself is difficult to paint, too, as you leave the white of the paper for the white lace and paint all the little holes in, thinking about shadows to make it stand out. Your comments are appreciated.